How to Enhance the Delivery Experience as an eCommerce Store
Running an eCommerce business requires a streamlined delivery process. While some businesses with do this in-house, many online stores will partner with a third-party logistics provider to ensure success. No matter which choice you make, there are some aspects to consider if you want to ensure your customers are satisfied with the delivery experience.
This post outlines three of the main ways that an eCommerce business can enhance its delivery experience. You will learn how offering contactless delivery, using real-time tracking and route optimization, and providing regular communication can boost your business’ success.
Offer Contactless Delivery
While it is useful to offer a range of delivery methods, you must include an option for contactless delivery to satisfy all customers. This method, which was a requirement during the COVID 19 pandemic, means there will be no contact occurs between the delivery person and the customer. Although the need for this has diminished since, many online businesses and food delivery services still offer a contactless option.
As there might be customers that prefer limiting physical contact with others, it is beneficial for your business to offer contactless delivery. It might be helpful in ensuring their health and safety isn’t compromised, but it will also do the same for your courier service’s employees. When customers are not home during delivery, they might also provide a “safe space” where the package can be left, so you should offer a space on the checkout page for this.
Use Real-Time Tracking and Route Optimization
Online businesses that should use both real-time tracking and route optimization to improve the delivery experience. Real-time tracking will provide the current location and status of the delivery to all parties involved, while route optimization uses algorithms to find efficient delivery routes based on numerous factors, like road conditions and traffic.
Both of these systems will ensure the customer receives notifications and is aware if their delivery encounters unexpected delays and can make adjustments; this communication will be discussed later in this post. These notifications can also be viewed by you, as the business owner. For example, the third-party logistics provider Ryder offers RyderView, which sends notifications and order tracking with 100% real-time visibility. This, as well as the other services they offer will help you to diversify your supply chain.
There are several other benefits of uses this software, such as enhancing fleet management. Your business, or the 3PL if applicable, will be able to monitor driver performance, maintenance needs, and vehicle utilization to improve the delivery operations.
Provide Regular Communication
As previously mentioned, real-time tracking is essential to offer customers regular updates on their orders’ progress through the system. This communication can be completed via multiple platforms, such as email, SMS, or social media. If your business has a mobile app, you might also want to use push notifications to keep customers informed about their orders.
Providing frequent updates can help to build trust and transparency with customers during the last mile of the delivery. If you have provided a delivery window, then these updates will relieve concerns about late deliveries. Similarly, you might have a live chat function that can answer customer queries, either through human workers or artificial intelligence software.
To conclude, the delivery experience is a significant aspect of shopping online, so your business must prioritize this service. A good delivery experience could result in a boost to your company’s reputation and return customers. With the three improvements listed in this post, you can enhance your business’ delivery process.
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